Dough

 

  1. In a food processor bowl equipped with a flat beater, add the four, honey, crumbled yeast, lemon zest, vanilla powder and 3 eggs.
  2. Mix at medium speed until the dough disengages from the sides of the bowl.
  3. Add 3 more eggs.
  4. Mix as above.
  5. Add the 2 remaining eggs and mix for 10 minutes. Now gradually add the butter, divided into small cubes, and the fleur de sel, without stopping the processor.
  6. When the dough is smooth and supple, pour it into a bowl.
  7. Let it rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.
  8. Baste a 26cm ring mould with butter.
  9. Transfer the dough into a pouch and fill the mould to the half of its height. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it rises to the edges of the mould.
  10. Slide the mould into a rotating heat oven preheated to 200°C and let cook for 30 minutes.
  11. Take out of the oven, turn out of the moulds onto a rack and let cool.

 

Syrup

 

  1. Put the water, sugar, lemon and orange zests, the banana puree along with the vanilla bean that has been cracked in two and scraped of its beans, into a saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour in the rum.
  3. Let the syrup cool to 60°C.

 

Chantilly cream

 

  1. Keep the cream refrigerated at 4°C prior to use.
  2. Using a whisk, a beater or in a mixing bowl, whip the cream (at medium speed, if possible) until it is fluffy and starts to thicken.
  3. Add the sugar in a continuous, thin stream and keep beating until peaks of the desired consistency – soft, somewhat firm, or very firm – form.
  4. Use immediately.

 

Saturation, assembly and finishing

 

  1. Place the pastry rack with the baba on top of a bowl of the same size.
  2. Drench with syrup ten times in a row, using a ladle.
  3. Make sure the baba is fully drenched by delicately inserting the blade of a knife.
  4. The blade should not encounter resistance.
  5. Sprinkle the baba with rum.
  6. Mix the apricot jam and bring it to a boil. Brush the baba with the boiling jam.
  7. Garnish the inside of the ring with Chantilly cream and serve.

 

Suggestions from Pierre Hermé

After the baba is removed from the oven, I prefer to leave it uncovered for 2 or 3 days so it can get stale. This way, the babais much more absorbent and becomes completely suffused with the lukewarm syrup.

 

Variations

 

  1. Garnish the baba with cinnamon or chocolate Chantilly cream.
  2. Then, sprinkle the cream with whole red fruit or cubed exotic fruit.

“I like to substitute an Armagnac, or a Marc de Provence, or a white rum and passionfruit juice syrup, for the dark agricultural rum. I garnish the baba with pieces of mango and kiwi mixed with a mango coulis.

I also like to serve it simply with plain Chantilly cream, and I serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.”